CULTURE CHANGE

Organizational culture consists of the values, practices and behavior by which people in organizations get things done. When values are made real through practices and specific patterns of behavior shared across the organization, and those values are aligned with the organization's mission and strategic objectives, people work with exceptional focus and effectiveness.

The Six Boxes Approach, combined with cultural analysis based on the work of Dr. Donald Tosti, provides a powerful way for an organization to establish and strengthen cultural values and practices. We use the linkage between values, practices, and behavior to define what people must do in order to manifest the organization's culture. Working across levels in the organization, we can establish cultural alignment with respect to values and practices. With the Six Boxes Model, we can work with leadership and human resources professionals to do more than train or preach the organization's values. We can help to build it into everyday expectations, feedback, processes, rewards and recognition, and individual development.

The effect of Culture Change using the Six Boxes Approach is to strengthen agreed upon behavior needed to make organizational culture strong and resilient. When used in the context of mergers, acquisitions, or other significant organizational restructuring, this approach can ensure greater alignment and effectiveness in the evolving organizations. In addition, adopting the language and models of the Six Boxes Approach itself can support a specific set of values and practices resulting in a more performance-focused organizational culture.

Performance professionals and business leaders can choose to address cultural issues in the Six Boxes Application Program. Senior Managers can work to strengthen organizational culture as one product of Organizational Performance Strategy Planning. And day-to-day managers and team leaders learn to support specific cultural practices as they apply tools and guidelines learned in the Six Boxes Management Development Program.